Nation’s Restaurant News:
The first Carl’s Jr. located in Vietnam opened Tuesday in Ho Chi Minh City, part of the quick-service burger chain’s ongoing strategic plan to double the number of international units within the next five years.
Carl’s Jr. parent company, the Carpinteria-based CKE Restaurants Inc., said the unit is the first of 25 Carl’s Jr. locations planned for Vietnam, set to open during the next six years. It’s also one of the first Western burger chains to open in the market, the company noted.
CKE, which between Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s operates or franchises 3,147 restaurants, of which 342 are in international markets, also plans to enter Indonesia later this year. The company has entered into an agreement with PT Fortune Foods Limited to open 25 Carl’s Jr. units in Jakarta. Carl’s Jr. franchisees currently operate in China, Singapore, Malaysia, and American Samoa.
The burger chain franchisor is among a growing number of restaurant companies that are aggressively growing overseas as domestic growth remains stymied by the challenging economy and the maturity of the U.S. restaurant market.
